It would appear that the Torah should have said: "the name of the first one was Gershom . . and the name of the second one was Eliezer. Why are they both referred to as "first"?

My initial thoughts were that Moshe was the first of the "Avos" to get it right.

There was Avraham who favored Yitzchak over Yishmael. The Middle East gives bloody testimony to the fight that resulted from that special treatment of one son over the other.

Then Yitzchak, who mistakenly favored Eisav over Yaakov. Amalek was born of the union of Timna with Elifaz, Eisav's son. They gave birth to Amalek and the war with Amalek continues to this very day.

Then Yaakov gave Yosef the coat of many colors, which triggered the hatred of his brothers, the sale of Yosef and the ensuing enslavement of the Jewish people for 210 years in Egypt.

So it would appear that Moshe was the first one to get it right. The Torah lists each of his children as "first" to tell us that he broke the pattern - he treated each son as his first - i.e. he treated them both equally. That was my initial take on this subject.

But on further thought, I realized that nothing ever became of Moshe's two sons. They are never heard from again in the Torah.

My nephew, Rabbi Dov Brezak, says it succinctly in his book, Chinuch (child-rearing) in Turbulent Times - "Chanoch hana'ar lefi darko" - educate the child according to his makeup.

The lesson is clear. Each child must be treated differently - as different as how they are different individuals.

Yes the Avos perhaps created strife amongst their children, but the result is that the Jewish people emerged and continue to exist today. Moshe's children were mentioned once, never to be heard from again.

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